Slí Mór : The Great Road

Slí Mór, The Pilgrim’s Road from Ballycumber to Clonmacnoise, has been used by pilgrims for centuries and runs along the crest of an esker.

Eskers are sinuous rides that rise above the otherwise generally flat landscape. For centuries the dry, well-drained esker ridges have provided important natural lines of communication. For pilgrims, the esker route was dry underfoot, relatively level and afforded a view over the surrounding countryside. Because so much of the route is now on public road, it has been developed as a cycle way instead of a walking route.